Hold On Granger
by mischxfmanagxd
Summary: Set after the war, a stressed and tired Hermione misplaces her footing only for the last person she'd expect to catch her. After their encounter, Hermione starts to think about the good in him and she's determined to bring it out. Inspired by the cover image by hulk-woman.
1. Chapter 1

The halls of Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry were empty. The last remaining students had rushed into class late and most likely got a detention. The seventh years however had study at this time and most of them were in the library or their common rooms, their final exams were only two months away and everyone was up to their neck in revision and stress. Hermione Granger however, was the worst out of all of them. Losing sleep over her notes being in the correct order, had she wrote out that passage from her transfiguration textbook or what about that spell she hadn't quite perfected; well to her standard anyway.

Ron and Harry had wrote to her almost every day concerned about her health. Ginny had been writing home about Hermione sleeping in the strangest places, curled up in a corner in a corridor, leaning against the girl's dormitory stairs. But nevertheless, Hermione made sure she was wide awake for class.

"Honestly, Mione. I haven't even got half the notes you have for the exams and I get enough sleep. You need a break day, this isn't good for you. Even McGonagall is concerned." Ginny said to Hermione at breakfast that morning. True, Hermione had all of her notes wrote out that January yet she was determined to write them over and over to make sure the information was embedded in her head.

Hermione sat across from Ginny and Neville at the Gryffindor table, her head in her left hand as she stirred the cereal in her bowl. In her head she was going over the steps to a particularly difficult potion when she heard the last of Ginny's speech. She looked up to her best friend. Ginny sighed with concern, Hermione had deep purple bags under her eyes from her lack of sleep and her skin was breaking out from the stress.

"You know your textbooks back to front, inside out." Neville piped up from his tea. Hermione sighed, she knew they were right but she couldn't help it. It was like an addiction to her, to go over and over her notes. She'd already begged the headmistress for past papers on her subjects, the older witch sighed as she knew the girl wouldn't give up and so she handed the bundle of papers over with strict orders to take a break every once and while.

"I'll try and relax at the weekend, Hogsmade trip. I could do with a butterbeer." She admitted, putting her book down and tucking into her toast. Ginny and Neville sighed with relief and went back to their own breakfast.

Classes started at nine, both Ginny and Neville had classes yet fortunately for Hermione she had a study period and decided to head up to her common room for a nap...after she re-wrote her notes on muggle studies. The plates cleared from the house tables and the students piled out of the great hall and Hermione spread out her books on the table, she didn't notice the other student doing the same across the room.

After an hour of revision she decided enough was enough and that she should head up to her common room. Carefully gathering her notes, in the right order, she placed them into her book and put all her books in her backpack, shaking her head, trying to waken up she left the Great Hall. Unknown to her someone was heading the same way.

Her eyes were drooping at this point, she struggled to keep them open as she continued up the flight of stairs to the next floor. Wearily looking up she had another two flights of stairs to go. She cursed the fact that her house had chosen a tower for their student quarters. She stopped at a painting of a couple, both in discussion the woman oddly resembled Hermione; bushy hair, brown eyes and seemed to be telling her husband off. Hermione laughed to herself and spun around to the next stairs...except they had already moved.

Within milliseconds, she was falling, her sight a blur until someone abruptly grabbed her arm as she dangled over the edge. Her heart hammering in her chest. She looked up and it was the last person she expected to catch her fall, Draco Malfoy. Strange as it was, he seemed panicked and his eyes pierced into Hermione's.

"Hold on Granger." He muffled as he caught his breath, his blond hair falling over his forehead. She nodded slightly and then as he started to pull her up, his sleeve rolled up and in black ink was the worn out dark mark. He glanced at it quick and then worriedly looked back at the panicked girl. With a huff, he struggled but pulled her up and both of them fell back onto the cold floor.

A moment of silence passed as the two lay side by side catching their breath, Hermione bewildered at the entire situation; her heart still pumping in her chest. She looked to her side and Draco lay eyes closed, almost gasping for breath. She stood up carefully, her legs trembling still and brushed herself down. Draco opened his eyes and with his elbows moved away from the edge. Hermione held out a shaking hand for him, he glanced at it then her and took it as she pulled him to his feet.

"Th...Thank you Malfoy." She stuttered, as she realised he was incredibly close to her and her legs felt like they would collapse. She told herself it was because of the near death experience and not the previous bully of her life stood almost chest to chest.

"Guess it makes up for Potter saving mine." He looked at her then shrugged it off. He grabbed his bag that had been thrown on the floor and slung it over his shoulder and nodded at her before taking off up the next flight of stairs leaving Hermione speechless.

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 **A lot of people are wanting me to continue this story...I've a rough layout so if you wish it to continue please tell me. The demand is high in the reviews. I'm working on it!**


	2. Chapter 2

"Hermione? Are you there?" Ginny asked quietly, nudging Hermione's arm with her elbow.

Hermione wasn't there, she was in a daydream about Malfoy. She didn't see him in the Great Hall never-mind follow her. She must have been exhausted not to realise he was behind her or hear his footsteps on the stone floors. She recalled the look in his cold grey eyes; afraid and distressed.

"Hm? Sorry still a little sleepy." She half lied. After her encounter with the Slytherin, she had too much adrenaline in her to take a nap. She paced the empty Gryffindor common room for what seemed like an hour before she realised she had charms class with Ginny and Neville.

"Maybe McGonagall will let you miss her class just this once. Mione you look like you're going to pass out." Neville whispered concerned, the mention of Hermione missing a class made her waken up. She'd missed classes before while in the hospital wing and hated it! If she wasn't petrified or a cat, she would have asked for the work to be sent to her. Madam Pomfrey often had to order her to stay in bed and not wander into class.

"Of course not Neville. I'm fine honestly. Look we only have a double transfiguration lesson left before the end of the day, then I can sleep before dinner." She sighed, her two friends seemed at least content with her plan and went back to writing their notes on personal charms.

As Hermione neatly wrote out the incantation for hair colour change, her mind wandered off again. Of course he helped you...if he hadn't you'd probably be dead. He didn't need that on his conscience, she thought. Yet she couldn't quite shake the tone in his voice nor the look in his eyes.

As soon as her head hit the pillow, Hermione was unconscious. Her muscles relaxed and she let out a relived sigh. From across the room, Ginny snuffled a laugh into her pillow. Hermione's curls were spread across the pillow, when she rolled over they dangled off the edge of the bed. Ginny wished she had a muggle camera to capture the moment; maybe send it to Ron and Harry. It really showed how over-worked Hermione was.

" _Hold on Granger..."_

" _Granger.."_

 _His voice echoed in her head as she tossed and turned in her sleep. Colours swirled and formed around her. She was back at Malfoy Manor, a cold breeze sent shivers down her spine. She found him beside the fireplace, dressed in a crisp black suit._

" _Is it them? Isn't this the Granger girl?" His mother whispered into his ear, guiding him towards her. Their eyes met once more; both were filled with doubt. What would he say?_

" _No I don't think so. Polyjuce Potion I suspect, not a very good one." He announced. Hermione's heart rate became quicker as it beat against her chest. He had lied for them._

" _Draco take them away, the cellar would suit." Lucius spat at his son. Draco kept his head down and ushered the three of them towards the cellar._

" _Keep quiet and I'll let you go." He whispered to Hermione, Ron and Harry leading in the front. He guided them down a hall and took a left into a large room. It was a large library that was stocked with tall bookshelves packed with every kind of book. The room smelt of old parchment and squid ink._

" _End this Potter." Draco said before handing them their wands and shoving them towards a fireplace. All three of them speechless as the emerald flames engulfed them._

"Hermione! Wake up, we're going to miss dinner!" Ginny half shouted, shaking Hermione's shoulders.

Hermione's eyes felt like glue as she forced them open. Her body felt groggy when she heaved herself up and changed quickly into her normal clothes; a pair of denim jeans, an old shirt and an oversized burgundy hoody that was long enough to reach her thighs.

As both girls rushed to the Great Hall, Hermione's altered dream slipped from her mind. Everyone was just settling into their chairs when they ran in and down the table to where Neville was sitting. Ginny muttered something about Hermione being practically knocked out when she sat beside him.

"Well she looks better than this morning, that's for sure." He grinned at Hermione. She shook her head and rolled her eyes as McGonagall said a few words about exam stress; the older witch making sure to have eye contact with her. Hermione gave her headmistress an embarrassed smile in return.

* * *

Once dinner had finished, Hermione excused herself and half ran up to her room. Since she skipped her homework time for sleep she'd planned to do it after dinner. She grabbed her book-bag from the end of her bed and dashed out down the spiral staircase to the common room. She almost tripped on someone else's bag in the process.

"Where's the fire Hermione?" Dean called out from one of the armchairs.

"Sorry Dean, I didn't see you there. I want to get my table in the library before all the first years crowd around it." She explained, the boy nodded at her response and went back to his own homework.

As she walked as quickly as possible to the library she prayed no-one would have her table. An immature thought she always told herself, yet it had the comfiest chairs and a small fireplace beside it. She once had came back an hour after dinner and found the table plastered in spilled ink and what she guessed to be the remains of a burnt feather.

She arrived in the library and headed up the main aisle and turned right after four bookshelves. Her table had been occupied. Draco Malfoy had spread out his books and notes across the width of it and the burning fire in front of him cast a dark shadow on his face. She groaned and stomped towards him seeing as the other side of the table was clear.

"Mind if I sit?" She asked quietly, pulling out a chair across from him. He glanced up at her for a second then shrugged and went back to his work. She bit her lip as she pulled out her charms book and started on her essay. Half an hour went past before she spoke again.

"Why did you save me?" She looked up, desperate for an answer. His face was blank when his eyes met hers.

"Well I wouldn't want Potter and Weasel hunting me down because I neglected to." He said sarcastically, Hermione felt a tinge of annoyance at his immaturity. He couldn't just be nice and give her a proper answer.

"So you helped me out of fear of my best friends." She rolled her eyes. He put down his quill and intertwined his fingers.

"Look, you didn't fall to your probable death. Can't you just thank me and get back to hating each other?" He snapped at her.

"Alright alright no need to be such a baby about it." She said simply, putting her head back down and getting on with her work.

He looked at her curiously. There was no smart come back, or witty reply. She'd just spoken to him like he was Weasel or Potter, he shook his head and went back to his own work.

* * *

 **So I have agreed with readers that this needed more. Yet I feel like chapter two isn't good enough. I'm not overly happy about it but it's a start I guess. Well hopefully everyone enjoyed it! And chapter 3 will come within the week.**


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